Leg muscle conditioning device



June 7, 1966 a. c. PETERSON 3,255,115

LEG MUSCLE CONDITONING DEVICE Filed Jan. 5, 1963 ,zag 26%; 42A 20 44 ,24 I 22 A TTOR/VEVS United States Patent M 3,255,115 LEG MUSCLE CONDITIONING DEVICE Eldon C. Peterson, 4131 Ardmore Road,

. Des Moines, Iowa Filed Jan. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 249,166 2 Claims. (Cl. 272-57) It has been determined that exercise including stationary or mobile running wherein the knees are raised to an abnormal running height will result in conditioning of the leg muscles as well as the muscles in the back and abdomen. My device relates to a unit which will require this type of exercise and which will instill coordination and other benefits in the user thereof.

Therefore, a principal object of my invention is to provide a leg muscle conditioning device which will permit I can be selectively adjusted to maintain a predetermined degree of tightness.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a leg muscle conditioning-device which can be easily disassembled for storage or shipping purposes.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a leg muscle conditioning device that can be used by a plurality of persons at the same time.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a leg muscle conditioning device that is economical of manufacture, durable in use, and refined in appearance.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilledinthe art. 7

My invention consists in the construction, arrangements, and combination, of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of my device;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevational view of my device;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of my device;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of my device;

' FIGURE 5 is a partial sectional view of my device taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a partial sectional view of my device taken on line 66 of FIGURE 4.

I have used the numeral 10 to generally designate a supporting frame which is comprised of two frame sections 12 and 14. The respective frame sections 12 and 14 include side rails 16 and 18 whose respective ends terminate in vertical portions 20 and 22. The lower ends of the vertical portions 20 and 22 terminate in horizontal portions 24 and 26, respectively, which are disposed at right angles to the side rails. Each of the frame sections 12 and 14 are preferably composed of a single piece of bent tubing or the like but these frame sections can be comprised of welded components if so desired. As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, when the free ends of the vertical portions 20 and 22 of the two frame sections are placed in abutting and aligned relationship, supporting frame 10 is seen to include two U-shaped end members 18 and 30.

To effect the creation of these U-shaped end members 28 and 30, the frame sections 12 and 14 are placed in abutting relation as described above. A sleeve 32 is Patented June 7, 1966 telescopically received within the horizontal portion 24 of frame section 12 and a portion thereof extends out wardly therefrom. The sleeve 32 is held in fixed relationship to the horizontal portion 24 of frame section 12 by means of weldments 34. The outer ends 35 of the sleeve 32 are slidably received within the horizontal portions 26 of frame section 14, as shown in FIGURE 6. Nut and bolt assemblies 36 extend through registering apertures in the protruding end 35 of sleeve 32 and the horizontal portion 26 of frame section 14 to effect the detachable but rigid connection between the two frame sections.

A rectangular net 38 includes a plurality of elongated flexible fabric web members 40, 40A, 40B, 40C, and 40D. These web members are of .the same substantial length as the frame sections 12 and 14, and are disposed in parallel spaced apart relationship to each other. Web elements 42 extend transversely of the web members and the web elements are also disposed in parallel and spaced apart relationship to each other. The web elements are stitched to the web members at the points of intersections as generally designated by the numeral 43 in FIGURE 4. The endmost Web elements have been designated by the numerals 42A and 42B as shown in FIGURE 4. It will be noted that a rectangular opening appears between the Web members 40 and the web elements42 and that the lateral width of these openings is less than the longitudinal length thereof. For convenience, one of the openings has been designate-d With the numeral 43A in FIGURE 4 with the sides of the opening being designated as 43B and the ends thereof as 430. The webbing comprising the sides 43B is longer than the webbing comprising the ends 43C. Also, it should be noted that the web members 40 and 40D are close to the side rails 16 and 18 but are nevertheless in spaced relationship thereto to prevent the users of this device from easily contacting the side rails. In this same connection, the endmost web elements 42A and 42B are positioned to appear in substantially the same vertical plane as the horizontal portions 24 and 26 of the frame sections 12 and 14.

The ends of the Web elements 42, 42A and 42B are formed into loops 44. A short strap 46 has one of its ends formed into a loop 48 and one such strap is secured to each of the loops 44 by a ring 49. A conventional buckle 50 is supported within loop 48 of strap 46. Buckle 50 includes a tongue 52 which is adapted to be received in one of a plurality of apertures (not shown) in the free end 54 of strap 46.

The normal operation of my device is as follows. The over all height of my device is approximately 12 inches which is a height greater than that obtained by the feet in the normal Walking or running activity. The user of my device approaches one end thereof and is required to pass completelythrough the 'unit from one end to the other. This is accomplished by raising the feet and progressively stepping from one rectangular opening to another. Since the end web elements 42A and 42B dwell above the U-shaped members 30 and 28, respectively, the user is not likely to trip over the bot-tom of the U-shaped members. In addition, the sidemost elongated web members 40 and 40D tend to keep the user away from the side rails 16 and 18, whereupon injury on the side rails is further minimized. Since the net 38 is comprised of flexible fabric material, the legs of the user will not be subjected to severe abrasive action as contact is made with the webbing elements. The user can be required to move through the net 38 in a predetermined path or may be required to step in every rectangular opening. Since a plurality of rectangular openings are provided, several persons can use this device simultaneously. Since the normal usage is to'passfrom one end of the unit to the other, the rectangular openings are designed to have a length greater than the width thereof to permit easier endwise travel and to minimize unnecessary tripping.

Since my device is subjected to some stress, it is often desirable to tighten the net 38. This is accomplished by changing the position of the free end 54 of strap 46 with respect to the side rails whereupon the ends of the web elements 42 are drawn closer to the side rails to increase the tension in the net 38. This adjustment of the strap 46 is effected through the use of the conventional buckle 50.

The frame sections 12 and 14 are easily separated from each other or secured together by actuating the nut and bolt assemblies 36 which permits the free ends 35 of sleeves 32 to be detachably withdrawn from the frame 14.

Thus, from the foregoing description, it is seen that my device will accomplish at least all of its stated objectives.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my Leg Muscle Conditioning Device without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. In a supporting frame comprised of two frame sections, each of said frame sections including a siderail, the ends of which terminate in vertical portions extending downwardly therefrom, the lower ends of each of said vertical portions terminating in horizontal portions which are disposed at right angles to the side rails, the two horizontal portions of one of said frame sections being secured to the two horizontal portions of the other frame section in an aligned relationship,

a plurality of flexible web elements secured to 'andextending between said side rails in a parallel and spaced apart relationship,

a plurality of flexible parallel spaced apart web members secured to said web elements and extending at right angles thereto to present an open space between said web elements and said web members,

and adjustably connecting means for securing the ends of said web elements to said side rails whereby the ends of said web elements may be moved towards said side rails to stretch said web elements to a taut position whereby said web elements and said web member yieldably resist downward pressure thereon.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein a web member is secured to said web elements adjacent each of said side rails but in a spaced relationship thereto.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,409,746 3 /1922 McCord.

2,354,050 7/1944 Paupa.

2,600,572 6/1952 Purviance et a1. 27265 X 3,008,711 11/ 1961 Dillon 272 3,097,368 7/1963 Collins 5-114 FOREIGN PATENTS 724,244 2/1955 Great Britain.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

G. K. KITA, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A SUPPORTING FRAME COMPRISED OF TWO FRAME SECTIONS, EACH OF SAID FRAME SECTION INCLUDING A SIDE RAIL, THE ENDS OF WHICH TERMINATE IN VERTICAL PORTION EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM, THE LOWR ENDS OF EACH OF SAID VERTICAL PORTIONS TERMINATING IN HORIZONTAL PORTIONS WHICH ARE DISPOSED AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE SIDE RAILS, THE TWO HORIZONTAL PROTIONS OF ONE OF SAID FRAME SECTION BEING SECURED TO THE TWO HORIZONTAL PORTIONS OF THE OTHER FRAME SECTION IN AN ALIGNED RELATIONSHIP, A PLURALITY OF FLEXIBLE WEB ELEMENTS SECURED TO AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SIDE RAILS IN A PARALLEL AND SPACED APART RELATIONSHIP, A PLURALITY OF FLEXIBLE PARALLEL SPACED APART WEB MEMBERS SECURED TO SAID WEB ELEMENTS AND EXTENDING AT RIGHT ANGLES THERETO TO PRESENT AN OPEN SPACE BETWEEN SAID WEB ELEMENTS AND SAID WEB MEMBERS, AND ADJUSTABLY CONNECTING MEANS FOR SECURING THE ENDS OF SAID WEB ELEMENTS TO SAID SIDE RAILS WHEREBY THE ENDS OF SAID WEB ELEMENTS MAY BE MOVED TOWARDS SAID SIDE RAILS TO STRETCH SAID WEB ELEMENTS TO A TAUT POSITON WHEREBY SAID WEB ELEMENTS AND SAID WEB MEMBER YIELDABLY RESIST DOWNWARD PRESSURE THEREON. 